This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
There is an ongoing need for higher fidelity and longer lasting implantable microscale neural interfaces for recording and stimulation both in academic and emerging clinical applications, such as deep brain stimulation. For long term chronic applications of probes, one challenge is to improve and/or control the degree to which an implanted probe integrates with the surrounding tissue to meet particular performance requirements, such as high signal-to-noise ratio and long-term stability. Computer models and experimental studies of the probe-tissue interface suggest that nonrigid, flexible and soft probes, such as those made of biocompatible polymers that approach the brain's bulk material characteristics, may help to minimize the relative micromotion between the probe and surrounding tissue that may damage tissue and improve performance and/or tissue health. In addition to using flexible and soft probes, utilizing advanced probe architectures with sub-cellular sized features has been shown to elicit smaller reactive tissue responses, facilitating improved long term probe-tissue integration and long term functionality of the device.
However, there are challenges in reliably implanting a probe that is soft, flexible and/or sub-cellular sized without damaging brain tissue. For example, polymer probes that are suitably flexible for long term implantation tend to buckle and/or deflect while being directed to implantation in their target areas. Existing implantation strategies of soft and flexible probes include integrating a rigid structure within the probe, coating the probe with stiff biodegradable polymers or crystals, and filling channels within the probe with stiff biodegradable elements. However, it is difficult for these strategies to achieve the critical probe stiffness required for successful insertion into tissue, and may incur more tissue damage due to a larger implanted footprint. Furthermore, these existing implantation methods of soft and flexible probes restrict probe design, restrict probe functionality, or negate the desired probe flexibility.
Thus, there is a need in the implantable probe field to create an improved device for implanting nonrigid probes. This invention provides such an improved probe insertion device.
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